there are Two main steps
Moving onto a college campus is quite the adjustment, and one of the hardest parts about it is that it’s different for everyone. It’s difficult to find other people who can relate to your experiences before and after moving on campus. Now that we are over halfway through the semester, most students feel like they’re expected to have everything figured out by now: who their real friends are, time management, homework, class schedules, FAFSA, clubs, organizations, all of the above. Before you know it, you start thinking about all the things you don’t actually have figured out… and it can get very overwhelming.
How can you, as a new freshman or even experienced sophomore, junior, or senior, adjust to living on campus without having everything figured out, and without getting overwhelmed? Remembering two simple, cliche-sounding, steps can really help to improve your quality of life on campus. Step #1 is determining your priorities, and then, of course, prioritizing them; and Step #2 is finding people with similar priorities who will push you to do your best.
Step #1
Everyone will have different priorities when it comes to campus and college life. I cannot give you a list or check sheet of 7 exact aspects of college that you need to prioritize in order to be happy. However, the two main aspects of college life — academic and social — are probably what most students struggle with balancing the most. A common mistake is trying to determine which is more important because the truth is… neither. Both are equally vital to your success, as well as your own mental health. If you prioritize school so much that you have no time for going out with friends, or if you prioritize your friends so much that it affects your grades, you have not found the balance. Each person has a different balance between academic and social life: what’s important is finding what works for you because at the end of the day, YOU should be your number one priority.
Step #2
Step two is finding people in your social life who will prioritize your academics, and people who will prioritize their own work above having fun with you. This has been so key and so helpful in my experience here at BGSU so far. If you find people who are pushing themselves to do their best in school, who aren’t afraid to work hard; and you surround yourself with people like that, it will motivate you to do the same. You may wonder if your whole focus should be on academics all the time, even in your social life. However, if you’re with people who are prioritizing their school and pushing you to do the same, you will get your work done. You will have more time to actually explore campus and downtown Bowling Green and go to sports events, clubs, student organizations, and so much more — without the stress of knowing you have work you should be doing.
in conclusion…
The main lesson I want readers to take away from this is that it’s okay not to have it all figured out. Because, in reality, no one has it all figured out. Prioritize yourself, prioritize your academic, as well as your social life, and find others who do the same. Your quality of life at college will dramatically improve.